Newcastle United have still officially to confirm Joe Kinnear's controversial appointment as their director of football but this omission failed to prevent him giving a shambolic and often contradictory interview on Monday night.
The installation of the club's former manager as, among other things, controller of transfers was expected to be rubber-stamped on Monday morning so, by the evening, the enduring silence from St James' Park hinted at a hitch. Kinnear, though, told Talksport he had signed his contract on Sunday night.
Yet that proved the least of the jaw-dropping moments of Kinnear's interview. During his conversation with Andy Goldstein and fellow former Wimbledon manager Bobby Gould, the 66-year-old claimed responsibility for signing Tim Krul [a goalkeeper recruited by Graeme Souness] as well as James Perch [bought by Chris Hughton], said "Derek Llambezee [Derek Llambias, Newcastle's managing director] had resigned as director of football [a position he has never held]and talked about Shola Amenobee, Yohan Kebab and Hatem Ben Afre rather than Shola Ameobi, Yohan Cabaye and Hatem Ben Arfa.
Kinnear also claimed that he has spoken to Alan Pardew on the phone and is meeting Newcastle's manager for lunch on Tuesday before then turning on the "negativity" of Newcastle supporters by insisting he had "more intelligence than them".
Then there was his claim that he has been named manager of the year three times when he has, in reality, won the award once, and the boast that his "worldwide" contacts were so extensive no door was closed to him.
"I heard a silly comment of 'what can I attract?' I can open the door to any manager in the world, anyone, that's the difference," said Kinnear. "I've spent my whole life talking to [Sir] Alex Ferguson, week in, week out. I can pick the phone up at any time of the day and speak to Arsène Wenger, any manager in the league. In all the divisions."
Despite Kinnear earlier maintaining that Pardew was "delighted" by his impending arrival, Newcastle's manager on Monday failed to supply any comment for draft versions of the club's official press release regarding the new director of football's arrival, thereby perhaps explaining the delay in its publication.
While Pardew was briefed in advance about the 66-year-old's new role and seemingly accepted it was "a done deal" – Kinnear variously said he was approached "three weeks" and "10 days" ago – it is understood the manager did not envisage the job's remit would be quite as extensive as the incoming director of football imagines. Nonetheless, Pardew was said to remain "relaxed" about the newcomer's advent.
Senior figures at Newcastle were apparently taken aback by the considerable sphere of influence that Kinnear claimed he will enjoy on Tyneside as he spoke to television and radio reporters on Sunday. With a club statement scheduled to be released on Monday morning and the former Wimbledon manager due in Newcastle on Thursday, it had been thought he would keep his own counsel until everything was finalised.
That has proved impossible but, having said on Sunday that he had the last word on player purchases, Kinnear backtracked on Monday night. Possibly accepting he had originally gone too far, he claimed: "We [he and Pardew] both have the final say."
Although Llambias – who is away on holiday – has been involved in transfer discussions with Kinnear, the decision to hire him was very much down to Mike Ashley, Newcastle's owner and the man who first recruited the former Tottenham full-back in 2008 following Kevin Keegan's departure.
Heart problems ended Kinnear's five-month stint as manager but, to the considerable dismay of the bulk of Newcastle fans – not to mention those he dubs "the snidey" local press – he is now en route back to the north-east to oversee football operations.
Many predict trouble ahead with Pardew but, in an interview with the Evening Chronicle, Kinnear – who also declared he would block the unsettled Cabaye's mooted move to Monaco – demurred. "Before I had a meeting with Mike, Derek said he's informed Alan, and Alan said, 'Great news. I'm delighted with that,' he claimed. 'At last I've got somebody who's a football guy.'
"Derek explained that I'm coming in as director of football. He [Llambias] is going to go on the finance side and anything to do with football is coming my side."
Based at the club's training ground, Kinnear – who also claimed he would shoulder virtually sole responsibility for communicating with Ashley – expects to travel with the squad during a pre-season trip to Portugal, accompany Carr on scouting missions and frequently watch first-team games from the stands.
http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/an...stle-return-alan-pardew-and-toon-media-199848
